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Ever since the students of Class 1-B were moved to dorms, a certain reputation has floated around the heads of Setsuna and Reiko — if you needed to dress well, you went to them. It started in part because of Reiko helping Kendo in the beauty pageant at the Cultural Festival. As for Setsuna, once everyone was living together, people saw just how expansive and expensive her wardrobe was and gave what Setsuna called “due respect.” And to everyone’s credit, the pair had done a pretty good job at maintaining the reputation. Dates, interviews, formal events, or just going out on the town, the two girls could make anyone look their best.
Setsuna was quick to pounce on receiving such praise and invited these requests, of course dragging Reiko along with her. That’s why we find them now in Awase’s room, helping him prepare for a date with Mei Hatsume despite his protests that “she wouldn’t care” how he looked.
“Maybe, but you should care,” Setsuna admonished. “You’re presenting an image whenever you go out. What’s the image you want? Unkempt dumb short slob who doesn’t know how to dress—”
“Hey, you’re shorter than me! And what was that about being dumb?!”
“Or — let me finish — Or you could dress like you care and people will give you the respect you deserve. It’s simple.”
Even if she had a bad habit of pushing people’s buttons for her own amusement, Setsuna meant well and wanted to help her friends. With her point made, she and Reiko were able to go about Awase’s wardrobe and pick out a suitable outfit for him. Setsuna made the choice to focus on denim, fitting with Awase’s casual, rough personality. In the end, he was decked out in a light blue jean jacket with white cuffs and collar, a gray shirt underneath, dark blue jeans, a yellow pendant necklace, and a headband with a pattern of interspersing blues, grays, and black. Awase looked himself over in the mirror and reluctantly gave a thumbs-up.
“Alright, alright, you made your point,” he said. “I look hot as hell.”
“Yeah, you do!” Setsuna and Reiko gave him a double thumbs-up while Awase posed for himself in the mirror. “You’re gonna flex all over everyone else, dude!”
“Who knows? Maybe your girlfriend will take her mind off machines enough to be impressed,” Reiko joked dryly.
“Now that would be impressive. A real testimony to your skills,” Awase said.
After their client had thanked them, Setsuna and Reiko left his dorm room and went downstairs. He wasn’t their only appointment for the day, and this one would be much more involved.
Ibara had come to the pair about an interview outfit for her application to become Kamui Woods’s intern. Earlier in the week, they had done a similar raid on her closet as they had for Awase, leading to Setsuna’s “clinical diagnosis” of what she called a “granny wardrobe.” Neutral colors, modest articles of clothing, and far too little pizzazz for her liking. Reiko saw no need to update the wardrobe, thinking it fit her classmate fine, but Setsuna wanted a full-blown mall crawl for some newer additions.
She is way too into this, Reiko thought. It was fun at least, but taking it too seriously could easily sour the experience. Nevertheless, they prepared for the outing quickly with Setsuna insisting they set an example and try to look good. Reiko took the advice and left wearing a strappy black dress worn over a red turtleneck sweater while Setsuna wore a black and white striped shirt, black skinny jeans, and an expensive-looking black silk scarf. After changing, they met Ibara in the common room and went on their way to the mall.
Once there, Setsuna was quick to map out the stores they would hit. “You had some hippie-ish, bohemian-style clothes in your closet, and I, for one, adore that look on you. You should lean into that boho look. Let out your flower power, girl.”
“Is it not too flashy for an interview?” Ibara wondered. “I only bought those when I felt a bit, um, wild, you might say.”
“I wanna know what that word means for you,” Reiko said in sincere curiosity. “Too much incense burning in your room? Big sip of church wine? Showed too much ankle and just went with it?”
“I don’t appreciate the mockery,” Ibara complained.
“Not mockery. You just fascinate me, Bibleman.”
“I think we can find something in that style that’d be perfect for the interview, and just to expand your closet a bit. And hey, Kamui’s supposed to be big into nature, huh? He’ll dig it, I bet! Now c’mon, let’s hit the first spot!”
Thanks to Setsuna’s planning, the mall crawl went on steadily with each store providing something new for Ibara to try. Though she was hesitant to try on stuff deemed by here to be “overly-flashy,” “risqué,” and “positively impure,” her two style guides helped her slowly work her way out of her comfort zone. Ibara soon had an outfit she found comfortable with, now dressed in a long yellow dress with green, orange, and red flower design and an orange shawl wrapped over her shoulders.
“When you’re right, you’re right,” Ibara gladly admitted while twirling her new dress. “I absolutely love it.”
“See, that’s exactly the look you should go for,” Setsuna advised, carrying bags from her own shopping. “I’ll bet you’re dripping with confidence now, yeah?”
“I am, actually. This helped more than I thought. Thank you very much, both of you.”
Despite her reservations about how seriously Setsuna could take this “job,” Reiko was at least happy to help one of their friends, and took Ibara’s thanks as a job well done. Plus, with this task done, they could spend some time relaxing without needing a critical eye at all times.
At least, that’s what Reiko would’ve liked, and for a short while, she seemed to get just that, until the three girls spotted another set of their classmates out shopping. Awase was there, as Reiko remembered his date wasn’t until later that afternoon, and with him was Rin, Tetsutetsu, and Honenuki.
In a flash, Reiko knew what was now on Setsuna’s mind — the way the boys were dressed. Next to Awase, still in their previous handiwork, the others were unimpressive at best. What Setsuna would pounce on was clear; she would start with Tetsutetsu, still wearing what were essentially gym clothes, move onto Rin’s mixing of a nicer jacket with plain sweats, and end with Honenuki’s utter style blindness. Setsuna didn’t call him “our white whale” for nothing; his mix of a neon orange t-shirt and lime cargo pants was almost impressive in how much it hurt Reiko’s eyes.
And just as predicted, Setsuna was crossing the path over to them, muttering to herself, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no… Just no.”
“Oh, hey, Setsuna,” Rin greeted. “You came here with Yanagi and Shiozaki, right?”
“Yeah, and we finished with Ibara just in time, it seems.” With a confident flip of her hair, Setsuna pointed dramatically to the boys and said, “It’s finally time! You’re gonna let me cure you all!”
“Cure us?” Tetsutetsu asked. “Are we sick?”
“No, you’re blind. Fashion blind!”
“You really think so?” Honenuki asked. Even the boys with him saw Setsuna’s point when he of all people asked.
“Here we go again,” Reiko sighed. “And I thought I may actual get to relax while we’re here.”
“Would my help perhaps ease your burden?” Ibara offered, pure as a saint.
“Even if it doesn’t, I may still get a laugh out of it,” Reiko answered, dry as all hell. “Sets, if you really want to work on them, let’s just get started.”
“Perfect! In that case, we start with Rin!”
“Woah, woah, hold on,” Rin requested. “We never even agreed to all this. Besides, what’s wrong with how I dress?”
“Oh, honey.” Setsuna put a palm to her forehead while her other hand went to Rin’s shoulder. “Rin, sweetie, baby, my scaly boyfriend, my lovely little man…”
“…Y-Yes?”
“You’re an absolute train wreck,” Setsuna bluntly declared. “Look at yourself. That nice brown jacket with these black sweats; terrible, really. You two aren’t any better, by the way. Tetsutetsu, you look like you just walked out of the gym—”
“I did!”
“—and Honenuki, if you told me you weren’t just fashion blind, but colorblind as well, I’d believe you. Now, who wants to see how my advice can help you? Who wants to put in some effort, you guys? Awase, my satisfied client, tell them all about it.”
Awase frowned, but gave in to the request. “Yeah, those two are pretty good at this. We’re not really doing anything right now, so maybe you could see what she’s talking about.”
With Awase’s endorsement, the other boys finally mulled it over seriously. Setsuna, considering herself a stunning example of her talents, posed to show off her own outfit, then went to Reiko and presented her, much to her embarrassment. Ibara needed a bit of coxing, but she too acted as a part of Setsuna’s portfolio. Soon enough, the boys came to their decision.
“We’ll try it your way,” Honenuki said with Rin and Tetsutetsu nodding.
Setsuna’s face lit up at the confirmation. She swung around to Reiko and cheerily announced, “We’ve got clients!”
“Hooray,” she listlessly answered.
With Ibara now helping, and Awase available to keep the boys convinced, Setsuna set her eyes on the closest store for men’s clothes and dragged the group there, intent on setting Rin with a better outfit. Unfortunately, once they had him set up in something Setsuna was satisfied with, Rin was unconvinced. He had been done up in an edgy-looking black ensemble with a red leather jacket and ripped jeans, looking more like something Kamakiri or Kuroiro might where.
“I’m not sure if this is… for me,” he explained while looking in the mirror.
“Let it settle,” Setsuna vaguely advised. “Now for Tetsutetsu.”
"Oh! I like this!” Tetsutetsu called out, having been looking through shirts with Ibara. He held up a bright red Hawaiian shirt with leaves and flowers colored various gray colors. Recalling seeing shirts just like this on vacationing old men, Setsuna gave it a thumbs-down.
“Too tacky. Let me grab you something a bit more subdued.”
Despite noticing Tetsutetsu’s disappointment, Reiko didn’t object quite yet. She had shifted her focus to Setsuna. She’s not usually this domineering. What’s up with her?
“Something wrong?” Awase asked from his seat on the bench near her.
“Not with me,” she answered, not giving him a clear answer. She just kept watching while Setsuna set Tetsutetsu in a smart-looking shirt-and-vest combo, more fitting to someone like Shishida or Iida than him. He seemed to agree, fidgeting in front of the mirror.
“This is dumb,” Tetsutetsu complained.
“Just give yourself a few minutes to take it in. Rin’s probably used to his outfit by now,” Setsuna claimed, missing Rin heading for the changing room behind her back. “Honenuki, you’re up!”
“You know, I’m good,” he decided. “I like what I’m wearing, and to be honest, your choices for us haven’t been exactly fitting.”
“Aw c’mon, I still got it. Trial-and-error, baby! Just gotta keep it up!” Setsuna’s protests fell on deaf ears and Rin returned in his previous clothes and Tetsutetsu entered the changing room.
“I’m hungry,” he said from the room. “Let’s get lunch at the food court, yeah?”
“I’m cool with that,” Awase said with Rin and Honenuki in agreement.
“How about we take a break, then?” Ibara quietly recommended to Setsuna.
Reiko watched closely as Setsuna’s expression grew disappointed, even a little guilty. The pieces were coming together on what Reiko suspected was happening in her mind. Well, that would explain things. As Setsuna consented to the lunch break, Reiko bided her time and waited for a chance to bring up her thesis.
The students went to the food court, most of the chatter coming from the boys. Setsuna had fallen into a contemplative silence, flanked by an equally quiet Ibara and Reiko. They went to the food court and each bought lunch, then sat down to eat. As they ate, Reiko finally decided to slowly bring up what her thoughts were.
“So, Setsuna, are you, uh… feeling OK?”
“I’m good,” she claimed, popping a fry into her mouth. “Maybe a little down since I couldn’t fix up the boys here as fast as I thought I could.”
“No, I’m not talking about specifically today,” Reiko explained. “I mean, well, in general. It seems like you’ve been throwing a lot of energy into this whole ‘style helper’ job you’ve given the two of us. Like, a lot of energy. Too much.”
Setsuna raised an eyebrow at this. “What’re you talking about? You make it sound like this is all I’m focusing on.”
“It’s not, but when we’re actually doing this stuff, you’ve been, well, a bit insistent. Overbearing, also. You’re demanding people take your advice even when they’re not on board.”
Setsuna raised an eyebrow at the claim. “I’m just trying to help out my friends. What’s so wrong about that?” she asked, now crossing her arms indignantly. “Are you implying they’re just humoring me? Like I’m not actually good at this?”
Faced with some attitude, Reiko was urged to give some right back. “Oh wow, you totally don’t sound like you’re projecting.”
“Ex-cuse me?”
Before Setsuna could launch into a rant, Tetsutetsu shouted over them. “Hey, don’t argue! You’re bros!”
“In a manner of speaking,” Rin added in. “Anyway, what’s the problem with getting deep into your hobbies?”
“The problem is using them to ignore a real problem,” Reiko told him.
Setsuna threw up her hands in frustration. “OK, why don’t you tell me what ‘the real problem’ is? You’re so knowledgeable about me, why don’t you keep up the psychoanalysis and tell me what I’m projecting?”
The outburst quieted the table. Reiko realized just how sensitive the territory she had walked into was. She took her time trying to pick her words correctly until the ever-so-blunt Tetsutetsu asked a question.
“Does it have to do with school?”
Perhaps it wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t asked so abruptly, but whatever the case, the question seemed to cut deep. Setsuna stammered for a moment, paused, then looked away. “Nope,” she finally said, though at that point, everyone could tell the nail was hit right on the head.
“Nothing can be absolved if you do not confess,” Ibara advised in her usual odd phrasing. All eyes were now on Setsuna, who spun her straw around her drink absentmindedly. Though she hadn’t agreed, she wasn’t denying anymore.
Awase took his turn next. “I can’t imagine your grades slipping, but maybe that’s it?”
“My grades are fine,” Setsuna stated with certainty.
“Is it your performance when we do training exercises?” Rin wondered.
“Those are fine too.”
“Any troubles with your internship?” Ibara asked.
“It’s fine. It’s just…” Setsuna sighed and finally looked back to her friends. “It’s just… not good enough. ‘Fine’ isn’t good enough for me. I was let in on recommendations — I should be better than just ‘fine.’” She planted her chin in her hands and pursed her lips. “Maybe I was just trying to get my mind off the fact that I’m dropping the ball. Is that so wrong?”
Despite being the one digging for the truth, Reiko was too taken aback to answer right away. She wasn’t quite sure how to relate. Thankfully, someone who could picked up her slack.
“As long as you’re giving it your best effort, you’re not dropping the ball.” Honenuki, having been mostly quiet so far, was able to confidently say what everyone else would’ve said had they shared what those two had in common. “Being let in on recommendation doesn’t mean we have to be inherently better.”
“You’re one to talk,” Setsuna said with a laugh. “I’m pretty sure your only weakness is your fashion sense. You’re strong, smart, popular—”
“Hey,” Rin spoke up, “you’re all of those things too, you know.”
Setsuna blushed at the compliment and gently swatted Rin’s arm. “Silly boy,” she said.
“You understand what we’re getting at, right?” Reiko asked. “You’re putting too much pressure on yourself, and it’s starting to bleed into something you actually enjoy.”
Setsuna looked unsure, so Reiko shot Honenuki a glance. If anyone could drive the point home, it was him.
“Listen,” he began, “it’s not bad to push yourself to do your best, but when it’s making you unhappy, you should reevaluate yourself and your standards. If you don’t, you end up like this — overly-controlling something else.”
Setsuna frowned. “So, what should I do?”
“Well,” Honenuki began with a shrug, “just go easy on yourself. You’re good enough.”
“Yeah, you need some self-love!” Tetsutetsu loudly suggested. “Vigorous self-love!”
“Maybe don’t phrase it like that,” Reiko suggested, “or yell that so loudly.”
Tetsutetsu laughed loudly at his mistake, drawing in the rest of the table. Of all of them, Setsuna laughed the hardest. When they were done, she was still smiling. “Thanks,” she said. “Thanks a lot, you guys.”
“Anything for a friend,” Ibara said.
Now reinvigorated, Setsuna slammed her hand on the table and declared, “We’re trying again, boys! I’m gonna give this one more shot. This time, though, I know how we’ll get it right.”
Once everyone’s food was finished, Setsuna led the group back to the men’s clothing store and gestured for the boys to enter ahead of her. “We’ll try it like this — show me something that you like, and I’ll give you some pointers on building around it. Hop to it!”
With a newfound confidence in the idea, Tetsutetsu, Rin, and Honenuki went to shop, dragging along Awase for an extra pair of eyes. Reiko smiled at the return of the cheery atmosphere that had been lost along the way. With a dramatic cracking of her knuckles, Setsuna stepped inside.
“Come on,” she said to Reiko and Ibara. “Let’s give some pointers.”
Rin was the easiest to help, having chosen a dark gray overcoat and matching jeans already. Setsuna worked swiftly to pair them with a brown cardigan sweater and a white collared shirt beneath. Both were happy with a style Setsuna referred to as preppy, but bby her tone, she seemed to have no problems with this look.
Tetsutetsu had immediately gone for the red and gray flower-print shirt once more. Seeing her try hard to avoid criticism, Reiko and Ibara tagged in to set him up with pale blue ripped jeans, a pair of black wristbands, and two shiny rings on his left hand.
Finally came Honenuki’s choice of khaki cargo pants and a bright orange shirt, which even Awase advised against and what Reiko thought would break this patient streak Setsuna had set herself on. They all braced themselves for a resounding “no.”
“Oh, I think I saw a jacket that would go well with them.”
In the end, though, she surprised them. A navy-blue exercise jacket was added to the ensemble, letting it blend together fairly well. As the boys paid for their items, Setsuna let out a relieved say, prideful in finally completing her task. Still having time left in the day, the groups of friends killed time by wandering the mall, talking and laughing with each other.
“Y’know, this was a nicer day than I expected,” Reiko said. “Even if we had to get a little real in the middle.”
All the better for it,” Setsuna claimed. “I’m feeling much better now. We can keep up the Fashion Police business without me getting too into it again.”
As if summoned by Setsuna’s words, a familiar face appeared running towards them. “Sorry I’m late!” Mei Hatsume had arrived for her date with Awase, though anyone watching could be fooled since she was still wearing dirty, sweaty work clothes from a long day of Support Item crafting. “I’m ready for our date, Awa!”
Setsuna looked to Reiko, and she to Setsuna. “I’m not saying it.”
“Fine. Be boring.” With a cocksure grin, Setsuna stepped towards Mei and stuck her finger in her face. “Mei Hatsume, you’re under arrest by the Fashion Police!”
“…Why am I friends with you again?” Reiko wondered.
“Who knows? You’re stuck with me, though.”